Aircraft



Dec. 29, 1931.- BAUER 1,838,354

AIRCRAFT .Filed Sept. 21, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fr/Zz Bauer Dec. 29,1931. F. BAUER 1,838 354 AIRCRAFT Filed Sept. 21, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Patented lDeLc. 29, 193i restart FRITZ BAUER, F STUTTGART, GERMANYAIRCRAFT Application filed September 21, 1929, Serial No. 394,195, andin Germany July 30, 1929.

My invention relates to an air craft, and more particularly to an aircraft which, like seaplanes, is adapted to move on or above a body ofwater. It is an object of my invention to provide a craft which ascompared with ships, is able to develop a much higher speed, as comparedwith seaplanes, has a much larger radius, as compared with airships, isvery small, so that its operation and mooring are facilitated, and theair resistance is reduced and, as compared with airplanes, has theadvantage of very much increased reliability and safety.

To this end I equip my craft with means for pumping water from a body ofwater above which the craft is flying, and to eject the water throughnozzles on the craft in order to raise the craft from the water and/orto propel it.

In a preferred embodiment of my invention I provide vertical, orsubstantially vertical,

nozzles for raising, and horizontal, or substantially horizontal,nozzles for propelling and steering the craft. It will he understoodthat the reaction of the issuin jets is relied on for producing thedesired e ects, and that the craft may be steered by varying the actionof the jets issuing at either side of its axis, or by ejecting water onone side of the axis only so that this side will lead. It is alsopossible to reduce the speed by means of the horizontal jets, and evento arrest the craft by their reaction. Similarly, the craft may betrimmed by varying the axis of the vertical jets.

The jets may be placed at various angles, or may be adjustable, so thata single nozzle maybe operated for issuing a horizontal, vertical orinclined jet, or nozzles having a iven angle may be operatedselectively. utomatic means may he provided for keeping the craft inproper trim or for rmaintaining a given direction, for instance, theissuing jets may be so regulatedby a gyroscope that the craft is kept inperfect trim and in perfect balance.

Preferably, the float is arranged at the end of the water pipe andreferably part of the cargo is carried on the 50 required for keeping inthe air is reduced.

oat so that the power lhus, heavy but comparatively small parts orsupplies, the engine, the pump, fuel, oil or the like, will be carriedin the float so that the craft is relieved of this Weight, while cargo,passengers, luggage, mail, etc. are carried in the craft.

In the drawings afiixed to this specification and forming part thereofvarious types of craft embodying my inventionare illustrateddiagrammatically by way of example.

In the drawings,

Figs. 1 and 2 are elevations showing a craft having a single suctionpipe for pumping water into the craft, Fig. 1 showing the craft raisedabove, and Fig. 2 showing it floating on the water,

ig. 3 is a plan view of this craft,

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a craft having two suction pipes,

ig. 5 is an elevation of a craft having a telescoping suction pipe,

Fig. 6 is an elevation of a craft in which the pipe is arranged in asort of keel extending into the water,

Fig. 7 is an elevation of a craft having two suction pipes,

Fig. 8 is a diagram showing means for regulating the free area of a pairof nozzles,

Fig. 9 is a diagram showing means for tiltso ing one of the nozzles,

- Fig. 10 is a diagram showing a power plant in the'float of the unitillustrated in. Fig. 7, and

Fig. 11 is a section on the line Xll-XI in 55 Fig. 10.

Referring now to the drawings, a is the preferably stream-lined body ofthe craft, 9' is a tractor propeller andk is a rudder.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1 to 9:3 3, d is a joint,preferably of the universal type, on the lower part of the craft, b is asuction pipe connected with the joint d, 0 is a float at the free end ofthe suction pipe, and i0i is a nozzle extending to the rear of the esoat.

A power plant, not shown, is arranged in the body of the air craft andconnected with vertical nozzles e, e and horizontal nozzles with thesuction or delivery tion pipe 6 is delivered in vertical and horizontaljets, as shown in Fig. 1. It will appear, that four vertical and twohorizontal nozzles are provided, but obviously I may provide any numberof nozzles and, instead of fixed horizontal and vertical nozzles I mayprovide nozzles which are adapted to be placed in vertical andhorizontal position,

as required, or may arrange the nozzles at various angles, as and forthe purpose spec1-,

fied. By means of the vertical nozzles, or adjustable nozzles placed invertical position, the craft is raised from the water and by means ofthe horizontal nozzles, or adjustable nozzles placed in horizontalposition, it is propelled and steered by varying the direction in whichthe jets issue on either side of the craft, or by operating the nozzleor nozzles only on one side so that the side with the active nozzle ornozzles will lead, or by opcrating selectively nozzles arranged atvarious angles.

The nozzle 0 on the float may, or may not, be provided. It is suppliedwith water by a separate delivery pipe, not shown, which may bearrangedcentrally Within the suction pipe I). The action of thepropeller 9 may assist, or replace, that of the horizontal nozzles f, asregards propulsion and a similar relation exists between the nozzles andthe rudder h, as regards steering.

i are hydraulic propellers by which the craft is operated when floatingon the water, Fig. 2, and obviously the action of these propellers mayalso be assisted or replaced by the other ropelling means provided.

When the pump, or the pumping plant, is arranged in the float a, thepipe I) will be the delivery pipe through which water is supplied to thenozzles on the craft.

Obviously the float c and its connection ipe b, may be stream-lined. Forlarge cra the pipe (2 is equipped with a gangway, not shown, so that theparts or supplies in the float c are accessible from the craft, andobviously the unoccupied areas of the pipe I) may be utilized forarranging gearings and other machinery, or the like.

The craft may be so designed that the joint (1 is within its body, andso that the float c and the pipe I) may be concealed therein.

Referring now to Fig. 4, the pipe I) and the float 0 have beensubdivided into two pipes I), each with afloat c.

nstead of a hin ed connection d of the line b with the era I may providea telescoping'connection m, as shown in Fig. 5, or

RI may provide a keel I: which extends to "the low water level in allpositions of the craft with.,re'spect to the body of water, as

. tion, pipe.

shownin Fig. 6,; and is equipped with a suc- 0 which in'the presentinstance is equipped with a propeller 2' at its rear end.

Any number of pipes may be provided between the craft and its float 0.

Preferably the ends of the suction pipes are provided with screens forpreventing access of foreign matter.

It will be understood from this description that the craft behaves likea normal ship when floating on the water and may be propelled like anysuch craft by its propellers i or the horizontal nozzles f. The speedobtained in this manner is obviously slow, but when the craft has beenraised from the water it is only influenced by the air resistance of thebody and by the comparatively small resistance of the float c in thewater. In this manner high speed is obtained with the craft raised fromthe water level, while on the other hand its altitude above the level islimited by the necessity of keeping the float c in the water, so thateven in case of a total failure of the means for ejecting water from thenozzles, there is no danger, as in this case the craft will gradually belowered to the viater level, and may still be operated like a s 1p.

A particular advantage is the possibility of keeping the craftstationary above the water by suitable operation of its nozzles, and ofarresting it by the reaction of the issuing jets in the manner of abrake.

The details illustrated in Figs. 811 will now be described.

Referring first to Fig. 8, l is a gyroscopic regulator, with a contactarmi2, 20 and 21 are sets of contacts which are adapted to be controlledby the contact arm 2 and are connected with a motor 3 and a motor 31,respectively, for either nozzle e. Both nozzles are connected with apipe 12, and 6 are needle valves for varying the effective area of eachnozzle. The needle valves 6 are fitted on threaded spindles 5 which arerotated by bevel gearing 4 and 41 from the motors 3 and 31,respectively, so as to vary the free area of the nozzles.

Referring now to Fig. 9, the nozzle 6 is connected with the pipe 12 bymeans which permit the nozzle to rotate about its axis while maintainingits connection with the pipe 12. Such means may be a stufiing box of anysuitable type in connection with a worm gear 7 on the nozzle e, a worm8, and a motor 9 on the shaft of which the worm 8 is secured.

Referring now to Figs. 10 and 11, c is the float described withreference to Fig. 7, with its propeller i and the pipes n which connectthe fioat with the body a of the craft, 9', 9 are engines which rotatethe propeller i and 22, 23 are engines each of which is connected with apump 24 and 25, respectively, for drawing water from suction pipes 26and 27, respectively, and conveying it to the body a messed.

through a delivery pipe 28 which may be connected with the pipe or pipes12 of the several nozzles e. 13 is a fuel tank in the float 0. Y

As will appear from Fig. 11 the pipes 10., n are stream-lined insection. The space of the leading pipe n which is not occupied by thedelivery pipe 26, may serve forcommunication and, if desired, a laddermay be provided in its free space, as shown for the trailing pipe n at14.

I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to theexact details of construction shown and described for obviousmodifications will occur to a person skilled in th'e'art.

In the claims aflixed to this specification i lifting water through saidfloat' and pipe connecting said float with said and for ejecting itthrough said nozzles in closed cycle.

2. Air craft comprising a' hull, reaction nozzles on said hull,-a float,a pipe ivotally ull and means for lifting water through said float andpipe and for ejecting it through said nozzles in closed cycle. T

3. Air craft comprising a hull, adjustable reaction nozzles on saidhull, a float, a pipe connecting said float with said hull and means forlifting water through said float and pipe and for ejecting it throughsaid nozzles in closed cycle. I

4. Air craft comprising a hull, downwardly directed reaction nozzles onsaid hull, a,

oat, a pipe connecting said v hull and means for lifting water throughsaid float and pipe and for ejecting it through said nozzles in closedcycle.

5. Air craft comprising a hull, downwardly directed and rearwardlydirected reaction nozzles on said hull, a float, a pipe connecting saidfloat with said hull and means for j lifting water through said floatand pipe and forlejecting it'through said nozzles in closed cyc e.

6. Air craft comprising a hull, fixed downwardly directed and a pair of,rearwardly directed reaction nozzles on s id hull, a float, a pipeconnecting said float with said hull and means for lifting water throughsaid float and pipe and for ejecting it through said nozzles in closedcycle.

float with said hull and means for lifting water through said float andpipe and for ejecting it through said nozzles in closed cycle. y

8. Air craft comprising a hull, reaction nozzles on said hull, a float,a pipe connecting water through said float and pipe and for ejecting itthrough said nozzles in closed cycle and means vfor varying theoperative condition of said nozzles 10. Air craft comprising a hull,reaction nozzles on said hull, a float, a pipe connecting said floatwith said hull, means for lifting water through said float and pipe andforejecting it through said nozzles in closed cycle and gyratic meansfor varying the operative condition of said nozzles.

in testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

FRITZ, BAUER.

7. Air craft comprising a hull, an air propeller and reaction nozzles onsaid hull, a float, a pipe connecting'said float with said

